JP2004526580A - Workpiece support - Google Patents

Abstract

A tooling system comprises a plurality of elements arranged in an array, each element being moveable longitudinally relative to the other elements in the array and having a first end, the system further comprising means to adjust the relative longitudinal positions of the elements such that the free ends of the elements define approximately a desired surface contour and means for retaining the elements in their adjusted positions. <??>The tooling system is characterised in that the elements of the array are movable between a closed position in which the elements contact one another and are secured in position, and an open position in which the elements of the array are spaced apart and are capable of vertical movement relative to one another, and in that it comprises drive means for opening and closing the array. <IMAGE>

Description

【Technical field】
[0001]
The present invention relates to tools, and more particularly, to reconfigurable modular tools.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
[0002]
The manufacture of tools or molds conventionally involves machining the billet of material and additional steps such as casting from a mold, sculpting or fettling from sheet metal or the like, or assembling. . For large tools, typically required in the aviation and automotive industries, the production of tools by these methods is time consuming and unacceptably expensive. One of the causes of this problem is the large billet size of the material required, which affects the tools in production and must be ordered months before supply.
[0003]
Further, because of the amount of skilled labor and the materials required for tool manufacturing, manufacturing tools with limited production volumes, such as, for example, product development, limited batch manufacturing, and mass customization, is a traditional process. Was uneconomical.
[0004]
In order to overcome these problems, reconfigurable modular tools have been developed, as typified by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,464. In the tool disclosed in this patent, a row of vertically adjustable pins is mounted on a drive base, and the height of each pin can be individually set on the base. A flexible surface or facesheet is connected to a flexible support, which is attached to the ends of the pins. Accordingly, the surface contour of the face sheet can be set to a desired contour by adjusting the individual heights of the pins. By pre-programming the desired contour, the adjustment is automatically controlled via a computer. When using this tool, the facesheet surface operates as either a primary tooling surface or a secondary tooling surface for making prototypes or molds, such as castings.
[0005]
While reconfigurable tools of the type described above may be suitably used in some applications, some applications lack sufficient rigidity and / or defined fineness in the tooling surface. The pins supporting the flexible facesheet are spaced apart from each other and do not lie in the plane of the desired surface profile. Therefore, the face sheet surface is merely an approximate surface connecting the points of the desired surface contour. The resolution of the surface depends on the density, number and size of the pins in the tool row, but as the density of the pins increases, the dimensions of the pins decrease, making pin position adjustment difficult.
[0006]
The bonding strength of the pins is much lower than a normal hard tool, and this tool is not strong enough to withstand most tool manufacturing operations. Further, the range of the aspect ratio, ie, the depth of the tooling surface, relative to the width, is limited by the amount of deformability of the facesheet.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
[0007]
According to the present invention there is provided a tool manufacturing system comprising a plurality of elements arranged in an array, each element being longitudinally movable relative to other elements in said array. And has a first end. The system further includes means for adjusting the relative longitudinal position of the element such that the free end of the element substantially defines a desired surface profile, and means for holding the element in the adjusted position. A first end of each element is provided on a machinable portion removably attached to the base portion, and the free end of said element is machineably disposed to create a desired surface profile. It is characterized by that.
[0008]
As used herein, the term "base portion" is a portion of an element and includes a base portion that can be driven by a drive member and the drive member itself.
[0009]
Preferably, the elements of the array are movable between a closed position in which the elements are in contact with each other and locked in place, and an open position in which the elements of the array are separated. Preferably drive means are provided for opening and closing the array.
[0010]
A tool provided according to yet another aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of elements arranged in an array, and driving means for opening and closing the array, wherein the elements of the array are arranged in an array. The element is movable between a closed position in which the elements are in contact with each other and fixed at a predetermined position, and an open position in which the elements of the array are spaced apart from each other and are generally vertically movable relative to one another.
[0011]
In this yet another aspect of the invention, the element can be machined to a precise surface profile, for example by milling, routing or laser ablation. Thus, the element may be used multiple times and machined to a new surface profile depending on the particular tool desired. The element may be machineable and removable over its entire length, or it may be composed of an upper part and a lower part, and the upper part may be removable and machineable.
[0012]
It is a further advantage of the present invention that when the face of the tool is machined, the tool face is an accurate surface rather than an approximate surface connecting the points of the desired surface profile. Further machining of the elements allows larger elements to be used for a given size tool, which is easier to vertically position, move laterally, and secure in an array. It is a further advantage of the present invention that the number of pins can be reduced.
[0013]
Preferably, a driving means or still another driving means moves each element in the vertical direction. Still other drive means include separate drive means for each element, movable drive means for sequentially driving each element, or a set of drive means each for driving one or more elements. Is fine.
[0014]
Alternatively, the elements may be set to the raised position, and each element may be dropped to a desired position by gravity, and the elements may be braked and fixed at that position.
[0015]
Preferably, the elements arranged in an array fit closely together to create a continuous tooling surface. In yet another alternative arrangement, the elements do not completely fit together, to apply a negative pressure to the tool surface for use in the tool and vacuum forming, and to cool and / or cool the tool. Ducts for applying a positive pressure to the tool surface for the purpose of discharging the product may be arranged between the elements. Alternatively, through-holes or channels may be provided on the surface where it is necessary to apply a negative pressure or a positive pressure to the tool surface.
[0016]
The cross section of each element is substantially square, and a sharp end is formed at a first vertex of the square, and a concave portion having a shape corresponding to the sharp end is formed at an opposing vertex of the square. Is preferred. Alternatively, the cross sections of the elements may be square, rectangular, or any cross-section that can fit snugly together.
[0017]
The elements may all have the same dimensions. Alternatively, the elements may have different dimensions depending on changes in the contour of the tool surface. For example, if the change in the surface profile of the array is large, it is preferable to have smaller elements and higher element densities to reduce the machining required for the elements.
[0018]
Elements arranged in an array may vary in size depending on the product being manufactured by the tool. For example, in product areas where highly detailed work is performed, it is required to increase the density of elements in the array by making them smaller than the elements.
[0019]
The element may be made of a wide variety of materials, for example, plastics, ceramics, metals, wood, composites and alloys, and the material may be selected depending on the environment in which the tool will be used. The elements in the array may be made from the same or different materials. The choice of material is possibly limited by the requirements of the tool surface to be machined.
[0020]
An array may include special elements that are themselves known to have particular functions within the array. Such special elements include discharge pins, side action pins for undercutting, and sprue pins for introducing material into the mold.
[0021]
If it is desired or required that no witness marks resulting from the presence of gaps between the elements remain on the surface of the component manufactured in the tool manufacturing system of the present invention, the elements may be integrated on the tool manufacturing surface. May be combined. Depending on the material from which the elements are made, the elements may be joined by any suitable technique, such as, for example, resin bonding or welding. If reconfiguration of the tool is required, the bond may be removed mechanically or chemically, for example by machining. A trace-free surface may be required, for example, for decorative or aesthetic reasons or to ensure a structural sense of unity.
[0022]
In use, a coolant or heating medium may be added to the back of the tool manufacturing system according to various aspects of the invention.
[0023]
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a step of attaching a plurality of elements arranged in an array, each element having an upper portion removably attached to a base portion; A tool manufacturing method is provided that includes moving in a direction and machining the top to a desired surface profile.
[0024]
If the tool production system according to the invention requires a large change in the surface profile, the elements inside the tool production system are arranged in a series of coplanar or multi-layered modules. In this way, the length of the elements and actuators can be reduced without affecting the tool aspect ratio achieved.
[0025]
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for creating a tool making surface using a modular tool having a plurality of elements arranged in an array, the method comprising the steps of: Moving the elements to an open position that is spaced apart from each other; moving the elements up and down relative to each other to create a desired surface profile of the tool; and moving the elements from an open position to a closed position. Returning.
[0026]
Preferably, the elements arranged in the array are machined when the array is in the closed position, but the elements may be machined when the array is in the open position.
[0027]
Alternatively, the top of the elements arranged in the array may be detached and machined independently of the array.
[0028]
The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0029]
Referring to FIG. 1, a known reconfigurable modular tool is shown generally at 10. A plurality of vertically adjustable pins 12 that are separated from each other are attached to the drive base 14 so that the height of each pin 12 on the drive base 14 can be set individually. A flexible face sheet 16 is connected to the ends of the pins 12. By adjusting the individual heights of the pins 12, the desired surface profile of the face sheet can be set. The adjustment is automatically controlled via a computer (not shown) with the desired contour pre-programmed.
[0030]
A first embodiment of the tool according to the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The tool is shown generally as 15 and includes a plurality of elements 18 arranged in a closed position, in which the sides of adjacent elements 18 contact each other. The upper end 20 of each element 18 forms a tool making surface 22. As shown in FIG. 5, tool 15 includes nine elements 18 arranged in an array 28. The clamping members 24, 26 provide additional lateral support and secure the elements 18 of the array 28 to one another when the tool 15 is machined and used.
[0031]
To change the surface contour 22 of the tool 15, the clamping members 24, 26 are released and the elements 18 are moved up and down relative to each other by means of the drive means, as shown in FIG. A state similar to 22 is created. If desired, the driving means may be configured such that the driving means is detachable.
[0032]
In a preferred configuration (not shown), the drive means includes a rod rotatably mounted on the lower surface of each element and extending downwardly and threaded to engage the base portion. The element 18 is positioned by rotation of a threaded rod, each rod being driven by an electric motor. In an alternative configuration (not shown), all elements 18 are manually raised. Then, each element falls to a desired position by gravity and is fixed there.
[0033]
When the elements are positioned vertically, the tooling surface 22 is machined by the milling cutter 62, as shown in FIG. Since the elements 18 are already positioned before machining as described above, minimal machining is required. Since only the final finishing cut is required, less than 5% of each element is typically lost in machining.
[0034]
The element 18 is formed from two parts, a removable and machineable upper part 64 and a lower part 66 which is a permanent part of the tool and which can be driven as described above. When the tooling surface 22 is machined, the upper portion 64 of the element 18 is preferably machined in the assembled tool 15. However, if the dimensions of the tool 15 are too large for machining, the upper portion 64 may be removed from the tool 15 and machined independently.
[0035]
In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the elements 18 of the array 28 are moved from the position shown in FIG. 2 or the closed position to the open position shown in FIG. . The elements 18 are driven apart by electric motor means, transmissions and cross slides (not shown). When the array 28 reaches the open position, the elements 18 are moved up and down relative to each other, as indicated by arrow A in FIG.
[0036]
Once the elements 18 are positioned vertically, the array 28 is returned from the open position to the closed position. Finally, the elements 18 of the array 28 are secured by clamping members 24, 26 (see FIG. 5), and the tooling surface 22 is machined for use.
[0037]
The closed and open positions of another array 30 are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively. Support rails 31-38 support and separate elements 41-48, respectively, and are driven to move the elements of array 30 between the closed and open positions, as indicated by arrow B, and are spaced apart.
[0038]
The diagonals of the vertices of adjacent elements, eg, elements 41 and 42, meet and align with each other in the closed position. Elements 41, 42 are mounted on separate support rails 31, 32 to separate vertices 71, 72 of adjacent elements 41, 42. Similarly, adjacent elements 43 and 44, 45 and 46, 47 and 48 are each mounted on separate support rails.
[0039]
10 and 11 each illustrate a further array 50 in a closed position and an open position. The support rails 51-54 support and move each of the elements 55-58 and are moved to move the elements of the array 50 between the closed and open positions, as indicated by arrow C, and are spaced apart. In the array 50, the cross-section of the elements 55-58 is substantially square and is formed with a point and a correspondingly shaped recess, as indicated at 59 and 60, respectively, in one of the elements 55.
[0040]
The point 59 and the recess 60 are coaxially disposed at opposing vertices of each element 55, 56, 57, 58 and are coaxial with the open position of the array 50 and the direction of the closing movement.
[0041]
Thus, when the array 50 is in the closed position, each of the points 59 engages a recess 60 in an adjacent element. For example, point 61 of element 57 is located in recess 60 of element 55.
[0042]
This arrangement is advantageous in that the vertices 75, 75 of adjacent elements 55, 55 do not touch each other in the closed position. As a result, in moving the array 50 from the closed position to the open position, only one support rail 51 is required to support the adjacent elements 55, 55. Similarly, other adjacent elements 56, 56, 57, 57, 58, 58 only require support rails 52, 53, 54 for each array of adjacent elements, respectively. In addition, the interlocking nature of the points and recesses impart strength to the tool 15 and assist in guiding the elements of the array 50 in moving from the open position to the closed position.
[0043]
Yet another arrangement is shown in FIG. 12, in which the elements of the array are arranged in modules represented as A, B and C. The modules A, B and C may be arranged on the same plane, or may be arranged separately on a multilayer plane as shown in FIG.
[0044]
Although the elements 18 shown in the above figures are all of the same size, different sized elements 18 may be used when applied to different tool manufacturing. For example, in areas where a large aspect ratio is required, i.e., where the depth of the tooling surface contour is large relative to the width, the area of the tooling surface 22 can be increased by using more of the smaller elements 18. The need to machine each is reduced.
[0045]
In the case of a tool 15 used for vacuum forming, a through hole (not shown) is provided from the tool manufacturing surface 22 of the element 18 through the lower surface of the element and is connected to a vacuum pump. Alternatively, the elements may be formed in cross sections that do not completely fit together. When placed in a closed array, these elements (not shown) have ducts in between that extend to the tooling surface and can be used to create a vacuum. Positive pressure may be applied to the tooling surface 22 through the holes or ducts to cool the tool or remove product from the tooling surface 22.
[0046]
Element 18 may be made from a wide variety of materials, such as, for example, plastics, metals, wood, and alloys, the choice of materials depending on the environment in which the tool will be used. However, the choice of material is also limited by the need to machine the tooling surface 22. In some applications, for example, a resin, film or plated sheet may be applied to the tooling surface 22 to protect the tooling surface. The size of each tool 15 is not limited, and it is contemplated that the size of the tool 15 can be adjusted by adding or removing elements 18 from the array 28. For large products, such as aircraft wings, the element may be, for example, a 500 mm square with 1 m up and down movement. For small products, such as mobile phones, the element may be, for example, a 5 mm square with a 300 mm up and down movement. The tool 15 is intended to be used in both primary and secondary applications, including, for example, vacuum forming, composite lay-up, press tool making, injection molding and die casting. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
[0047]
FIG. 1 shows a known configuration of a reconfigurable modular tool in which a flexible facesheet is mounted on an array of vertically adjustable pins.
FIG. 2 shows a tool according to the invention, comprising a plurality of elements arranged in an array.
FIG. 3 shows the tool of FIG. 2 with the elements moved up and down relative to each other.
FIG. 4 shows the tool of FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the surface contour of the tool has been cut to the desired shape by milling.
FIG. 5 shows a clamping frame securing the element in a closed position.
FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in which the elements of the array are moved to an open position prior to the vertical movement of the elements.
FIG. 7 shows the tool of FIG. 6 with the elements moved up and down in the open position.
FIG. 8 shows a plurality of square elements (closed position) mounted on the support rails in another array arrangement.
FIG. 9 shows the elements of the array of FIG. 8 moved to an open position.
FIG. 10 shows a plurality of self-guided elements (closed position) mounted on a support rail in an array arrangement.
FIG. 11 shows the elements of the array of FIG. 10 moved to an open position.
FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which the elements of the array are modularly arranged.

Claims (25)

A tool manufacturing system,
A plurality of elements arranged in an array, each element being longitudinally movable relative to other elements in the array and having a first end;
Means for adjusting the relative longitudinal position of the element such that the free end of the element substantially defines a desired surface profile;
Means for holding the element in the adjusted position.
A first portion of each element is provided on a machinable portion removably attached to a base portion, and the free end of the element is machined to create the desired contoured surface. Characterized by the fact that
The tool manufacturing system. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein braking means is provided for braking the vertical movement of each of the elements. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein a driving unit drives each of the elements in a vertical direction. 4. A tool manufacturing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the elements of the array fit snugly together to create a continuous tool manufacturing surface. 5. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 4, wherein a through hole is provided in the element for providing a positive or negative pressure to the tool manufacturing surface. The cross-section of each element is substantially square, and a sharp end is formed at a first vertex of the square, and a concave portion having a shape corresponding to the sharp end is formed at an opposite vertex of the square. Item 6. The tool manufacturing system according to any one of Items 4 and 5. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein dimensions of the elements are different. Wherein the elements of the array are movable between a closed position where the elements contact each other and are held in place, and an open position where the elements of the array are spaced apart from each other; The tool manufacturing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a driving unit is provided for opening and closing the array. A method of manufacturing a tool, the method comprising: attaching a plurality of elements arranged in an array, wherein each element has an upper portion detachably attached to a base portion; and A tool manufacturing method, comprising: moving; and machining the upper portion to a desired surface profile. A tool manufacturing system, comprising: a plurality of elements arranged in an array, wherein the elements of the array are in a closed position where the elements contact each other and are held in a predetermined position; and The tool manufacturing system, wherein the tool is movable between an open position where the elements are spaced apart from each other and can move up and down relative to each other, and drive means are provided to open and close the array. . 11. The tool manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the elements of the array fit snugly together in the closed position to create a continuous tool manufacturing surface. The cross-section of each element is substantially square, and a sharp end is formed at a first vertex of the square, and a concave portion having a shape corresponding to the sharp end is formed at an opposite vertex of the square. Item 12. The tool manufacturing system according to item 10 or 11. 13. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 12, wherein a through hole is provided in the element for providing a positive or negative pressure to the tool manufacturing surface. 14. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 13, wherein the dimensions of the elements are different. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 14, wherein the density of the elements in the array varies. 16. The tool manufacturing system according to claim 15, wherein each of the elements is moved up and down by another driving means. A tool manufacturing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the element is machineable. A tool manufacturing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the element is detachable. 17. The tool manufacturing system according to any of claims 10 to 16, wherein the element comprises an upper part and a lower part, and the upper part is detachable and machineable. A tool manufacturing method using a modular tool in which a plurality of elements are arranged in an array,
Moving the elements from a closed position where the elements contact each other to an open position where the elements of the array are spaced apart;
Moving the elements up and down relative to each other to create a desired surface profile of the tool; and moving the elements back from the open position to the closed position;
The tool manufacturing method, comprising: 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the elements of the array are machined when the array is in the closed position. The method of claim 20, wherein the elements of the array are machined when the array is in the open position. 21. The tool manufacturing method of claim 20, wherein the top of the elements of the array are removed and machined independently of the array. 20. A tool manufacturing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the elements are integrally joined at the tool manufacturing surface. 20. Any of the preceding claims, wherein the elements inside the array are modularly arranged and the modules may be arranged on the same surface or in multiple layers in multiple planes. 3. The tool manufacturing system according to 1.